Henry Lehman

Sad to hear about the death of Henry Lehman. You can read about it on the Fagstein blog here, along with some writing by him.

There weren’t many art writers working in English in Montreal. So, during the few times I ran into him, at an art opening, or on the street, we could chat and share experiences. Funny, but what we most seemed to share were the occasional mistakes: getting a name wrong, for instance, or some fact. I think, since I was in the same business, he could confess sins to me without fear of judgment.

It’s not always easy being an art critic. Artists and galleries rely on you to get the word out about their shows, but don’t want your opinion to get in the way. On the other hand, readers and editors want an exciting story, or at least to learn a little about art in this city. Hard making a living writing about art, and Lehman did that, for a while. Now he joins the pantheon.